1. Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a method and an apparatus for bringing together and joining plastic cards, which are provided with an identification mark, and printed card carriers associated with the respective plastic cards.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is generally possible to automatically join (apply) a variable number of plastic cards, such as thick plastic cards, type CR-80, to card carriers by means of known systems. The card carriers having applied thereto the plastic cards are then packed into envelopes, e.g. in an enveloping station, and either deposited in a scalelike mode of arrangement or subjected to further treatment, such as sorting or encircling by a plastic strip.
In a method and in an apparatus known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,217 presorted and personalized plastic cards are applied to presorted and personalized card carriers. The term xe2x80x9cpersonalizedxe2x80x9d means in this connection that the plastic card and the card carrier, respectively, have already been provided with the necessary data, such as name, address etc.. The card carriers can in this case by supplied from a stack of continuous sheets or from a stack of single sheets.
In FIG. 5 such an apparatus for applying plastic cards and card carriers is shown. The apparatus is designated generally by reference numeral 500.
In this known apparatus, the plastic cards are contained in a turret means 502 comprising four magazines 504. Individual plastic cards 506 are discharged from the turret means 502 and supplied to a reader 508. The supply of the individual cards to the various stations takes place via so-called stop points 510 at which the cards stop until a signal arrives from a subsequent station which indicates that the subsequent station is ready to receive the card.
In the reader 508, an identification number (ID number) of the plastic card 506 is read. A processing means (VE) 512 detects and stores the identification number. Subsequently, the plastic card 506 is guided to an application means 514 via a plurality of stop points 510. Prior to supplying the plastic card 506 to the application means 514, the plastic card may be provided with a gummed label at a station 516 so as to guarantee the subsequent connection to the card carrier.
The card carrier is supplied from a second direction (arrow 518), which does not correspond to the direction in which the plastic card 506 is supplied to the application means 514.
The card carrier is contained in a stack 520 comprising the card carriers in a presorted form. As has been described hereinbefore, the card carriers have already been provided with the relevant data, such as the name and the address of the person receiving the card.
From the stack 520, the card carrier is supplied to a reader 522, which will read an identification number printed on the card carrier. This identification number is compared (arrow 524) with the identification number of the card occupying the last stop point prior to the application means 514. If the identification numbers correspond, the plastic card and the card carrier will be connected.
In this known apparatus 500, all components are controlled by the same system clock, i.e. the number of strokes elapsing until a plastic card reaches the application means 514 after the reading of the identification number at 508 is known, so that, depending on this known transit time, the supply of the card carriers from the stack 520 and the examination of the identification numbers can be controlled such that the card carrier will arrive at the application means 514 at the same time as the plastic card 506 belonging to this card carrier.
One disadvantage of this known apparatus is to be seen in the fact that the plastic cards as well as the card carriers must be presorted and that, in addition, the card carriers must already be personalized. This results in a substantial restriction of the flexibility of such an apparatus.
DE 195 08 282 C1 discloses a method and an apparatus for bringing together and joining plastic cards, which are provided with an identification mark, and printed card carriers associated with the respective plastic cards. The correct association of the card and of the carrier is achieved by a print job number which is associated with a plastic card and printed on a card carrier. Before the card and the carrier are joined, it is examined whether the print job number of the plastic card, which is about to be joined to the card carrier, corresponds to a print job number of a carrier which is about to be joined.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a simplified method and a simplified apparatus for bringing together and joining plastic cards and card carriers, the method and the apparatus permitting a correct association of the card and of the carrier and showing an improved flexibility.
The present invention is a method of bringing together and joining plastic cards, which are provided with an identification mark, and printed card carriers associated with the respective plastic cards, by providing the plastic card, detecting the identification mark of the plastic card, deriving a test mark from the identification mark of the plastic card in such a way that unequivocal calculating back to the identification mark is not possible on the basis of the test mark, reading a data base by means of the identification mark, printing on the card carrier data read from the data base as well as the test mark, detecting the test mark of the card carrier prior to joining the card carrier to the plastic card, determining whether the test mark derived from the identification mark of the plastic card, which is about to be joined to the card carrier, corresponds to the detected test mark, provided that the test marks of the plastic card and of the card carrier correspond, bringing together and joining the plastic card and the card carrier.
The present invention is an apparatus for bringing together and joining plastic cards, which are provided with an identification mark, and printed card carriers associated with the respective plastic cards, having a carrier means containing the plastic cards, means for detecting the identification mark of the plastic card and for deriving a test mark from the identification mark of the plastic card in such a way that unequivocal calculating back to the identification mark is not possible on the basis of the test mark, a data base means containing data depending on the identification mark, a printer which prints onto the card carrier the data read from the data base means as well as the test mark, a means used for detecting the test mark of the card carrier and for comparing the test mark derived from the identification mark of the plastic card, which is about to be joined to the card carrier, with the test mark of the card carrier, and a bringing-together and joining means used for bringing together and joining the plastic card and the card carrier, provided that the test marks of the plastic card and of the card carrier correspond.
In accordance with one aspect, the invention is a system system, which is used for bringing together and joining plastic cards provided with an identification mark and printed card carriers associated with the respective plastic cards and which is used for packing the plastic cards having applied thereto the card carriers, having a tower of cards comprising the plastic cards, a temporary store for temporarily storing the plastic cards received from the tower of cards, a processing means which detects the identification mark of the plastic card and which derives a test mark from the identification mark of the plastic card in such a way that unequivocal calculating back to the identification mark is not possible on the basis of the test mark, a data base from which data can be read depending on the identification mark, a single-sheet printer connected to the processing means, the single-sheet printer printing the card carrier on the basis of the data received from the processing means and providing the card carrier with the test mark, a transfer means receiving the card carrier discharged from the single-sheet printer, a temporary paper store provided with a single-sheet feed means, a transverse folding means, and a single-sheet discharge means and receiving the card carrier from the transfer means, a reader which detects the test mark of the card carrier and transfers it to the processing means and which determines whether the transmitted test mark of the card carrier corresponds to the test mark derived from the identification mark of the plastic card, which is about to be joined to the card carrier, an application means which is connected to the processing means and which is used for bringing together and joining the plastic card, which comes from the temporary store, and the card carrier, the application means discharging the card carrier with the plastic card, if the test marks of the plastic card and of the card carrier correspond, and a device for packing the plastic card having applied thereto the card carrier.
In accordance with another aspect, the invention is a system which is used for bringing together and joining plastic cards provided with an identification mark and printed card carriers associated with the respective plastic cards and which is used for packing the plastic cards having applied thereto the card carriers, having a tower of cards comprising the plastic cards, a temporary store for temporarily storing the plastic cards received from the tower of cards, a processing means, which detects the identification mark of the plastic card and which derives a test mark from the identification mark of the plastic card in such a way that unequivocal calculating back to the identification mark is not possible on the basis of the test mark, a data base from which the data can be read depending on the identification mark, a continuous-paper printer connected to the processing means, the continuous-paper printer printing the card carrier on the basis of the data received from the processing means and providing the card carrier with the test mark, loop-type temporary store which arranged in spaced relationship with the continuous-paper printer, a cutting machine which separates the continuous paper, a reader which detects the test mark of the card carrier and transfers it to the processing means and which determines whether the transmitted test mark of the card carrier corresponds to the test mark derived from the identification mark of the plastic card, which is about to be joined to the card carrier, a transverse folding means which receives the separated paper, an application means which is connected to the processing means and which is used for bringing together and joining the plastic card, which comes from the temporary store, and the card carrier, the application means discharging the card carrier with the plastic card, if the test marks of the plastic card and of the card carrier correspond, and a device for packing the plastic card having applied thereto the card carrier.
In accordance with yet another aspect, the invention is a system which is used for bringing together and joining plastic cards provided with an identification mark and printed card carriers associated with the respective plastic cards and which is used for packing the plastic cards having applied thereto the card carriers, having a tower of cards comprising the plastic cards, a processing means which detects the identification mark of the plastic card and which derives a test mark from the identification mark of the plastic card in such a way that unequivocal calculating back to the identification mark is not possible on the basis of the test mark, a data base from which data can be read depending on the identification mark, a feed device containing non-personalized paper sheets which have already been preprinted, a first rerouting means fed by the feed device, an ink-jet printing unit which receives the preprinted, non-personalized paper sheets from the first rerouting means and which prints the card carrier on the basis of the data received from the processing means and provides the card carrier with the test mark, a second rerouting means receiving the printed card carriers, a transverse folding means, a reader which detects the test mark of the card carrier and transfers it to the processing means and which determines whether the transmitted test mark of the card carrier corresponds to the test mark derived from the identification mark of the plastic card, which is about to be joined to the card carrier, an application means which is connected to the processing means and which is used for bringing together and joining the plastic card and the card carrier, the application means discharging the card carrier with the plastic card, if the test marks of the plastic card and of the card carrier correspond, and a device for packing the plastic card having applied thereto the card carrier.
One advantage of the present invention is to be seen in the fact that the test mark, instead of the print job number or the identification number, is used on the card carrier. This results in an improvement of data protection, since unequivocal calculating back to the identification mark is not possible on the basis of the test mark. Due to the use of the test mark, the identification number, which is used for accessing e.g. the data base for inquiring e.g. personal data, no longer appears on the card carrier and remains thus unknown to third parties xe2x80x94the plastic card has applied thereto the identification number invisibly, e.g. in a magnetic strip or the like. It follows that the access to personal data of a person, e.g. by unauthorized access to the data base by third persons, can be prevented more reliably in accordance with the present invention.